Automatically closing valve for pressure vessels containing pastes of liquids

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an automatically closing valve for pressure vessels containing pastes or liquids, which valve consists of a valve seat which is constructed on a nozzle consisting of flexible material, and by a rigidly mounted valve piston consisting of inflexible material and extending through the nozzle, together with a valve disc cooperating with the valve seat, the nozzle and the piston being so disposed that the valve seat and the valve disc are pressed against one another in the resting position owing to the flexibility of the nozzle.

United States Patent lnventors Artur Piaif S5 llohenzollernring 5,Cologne; Richard Friedrich, 5 Waldstrasse 547 l, Wassenach, Andernach,Germany Appl, No. 785,975

Filed Dec. 23, 1968 Patented Jan. 26, I971 AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING VALVEFOR PRESSURE VESSELS CONTAINING PASTES OF LIQUIDS 7 Claims, 10 DrawingFigs.

U.S.Cl 239/337, 222/2l3;239/573, 239/576, 239/579 Int. Cl B05b 7/32,F23d 13/04 Field of Search 239/337,

573x, 576X, 579X, 583; 222/212, 213x References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 6/1965 Raehs et a1.

2,746,797 5/1956 Remane 239/337 2,785,016 3/1957 Vollertzen et a1.239/576X 3,195,787 7/1965 Kitabayashi 239/337X FOREIGN PATENTS 342,17812/ 1 959 Netherlands 239/573 714,669 9/1954 Great Britain 239/3371,250,569 12/1960 France 239/573 Primary ExaminerLloyd L. KingAttorney-Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis ABSTRACT: The invention relatesto an automatically closing valve for pressure vessels containing pastesor liquids, which valve consists of a valve seat which is constructed ona nozzle consisting of flexible material, and by a rigidly mounted valvepiston consisting of inflexible material and extending through thenozzle, together with a valve disc cooperating with the valve seat, thenozzle and the piston being so disposed that the valve seat and thevalve disc are pressed against one another in the resting position owingto the flexibility of the nozzle.

PATENTED JAMES 1971 3.558.059

SHEET 1 OF 3 FIG. 7

AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING VALVE FOR PRESSURE VESSELS CONTAINING PASTES OFLIQUIDS Pressure vessels (spray-dispensing vessels) are finding aconstantly increasing application for the supply of pastes or liquids,in which the pastes or liquids either are themselves under pressure orare contained together with a pressureproviding agent. These vessels mayalso include the so-called two-compartment vessels, in which the pastesor liquids are contained in a compressible inside container within thevessel, and a pressure-providing agent is placed around this insidecontainer within the outer shell of the vessel.

Automatically closing valves for such vessels are known. In one form ofthis valve, known in many variants thereof, the movable valve part ismounted on a spring which urges this movable part into the closedposition. The product to be dispensed thereby comes in contact with thespring, and besides various other disadvantages, this may in some casescause corrosion of the spring and dead areas are frequently formed inwhich the product to be dispensed is deposited and dries or is spoilt.Another form of valve known in many variants is closed by rotation ofthe movable valve body, for which a thread is provided between themovable and the fixed valve body. The manipulation of such valves isinconvenient and relatively difficult. Two hands have always to be usedfor the manipulation. In the case of the known valves the actual closingdevice is fitted inside the valve body, so that parts of the productalways remain in the outlet tube of the valve and become dried orspoilt. The known aerosol valves are unsuitable for pastes, since theoutlet, limited by the valve openings and passages, is too small. Theoutlet tubes are so shaped that the fingers are invariably soiled duringthe dispensing of the product.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatically closing valvefor pressure vessels containing pastes or liquids, in which theabove-mentioned disadvantages are avoided. The valve according to theinvention should have neither a spring nor a thread for its actuationand should be applicable both for highly fluid or thin products and forviscous products and pastes. Further, in the valve according to theinvention no drying or spoiling residues should be formed in or in frontof the valve closure, and also no dead areas should be present insidethe valve in which the product can settle. While the basic form of thevalve according to the invention is nonnally to be opened with twofingers, according to another form of the invention, a valve can be madewhich can be opened with only one finger. The valve according to theinvention should be so designed that the paste or liquid to be dispensedcan also be supplied in difficultly accessible places, in which case thefinger or fingers actuating the valve do not have to reach up to theplace at which the paste or liquid is discharged.

In the basic form of the valve according to the invention, this objectis achieved by a valve seating which is constructed on a nozzleconsisting of an elastic material, and by a rigidly mounted valve pistonconsisting of inflexible material and extending through the nozzle,together with a valve disc cooperating with the valve seat, the nozzleand the piston being so disposed that the valve seat and the disc arepressed against one another in the resting position owing to theflexibility of the nozzle.

A preferred form of the invention provides that the valve has abaseplate with at least one aperture to be fixed on the opening of thevessels and on the outside of which projects the valve piston carryingon its end the valve plate and consisting of a rigid rod, while thenozzle consists of a bellows affixed on the outside of the baseplate,from which a cylindrical shaft begins which lies around the piston rodand spaced therefrom and has at its end the valve seat cooperating withthe valve late. p In order to open such a valve, in which the closingplane lies at the outermost end of the cylindrical shaft, the bellows ofthe noule is pressed with two fingers, so that it is pressed togetherand the valve seat is removed from the rigidly mounted valve disc.

To operate the valve with a single finger, a preferred form of theinvention provides that the bellows is placed eccentrically to thepiston rod so that. to open the valve, it is compressible with onefinger.

A further preferred form of the invention provides that a projectingpart is placed on the outside of the cylindrical shaft so as to exert alateral pressure on the shaft.

Further instructions, features and advantages of the invention resultfrom the following description of a few examples of the invention andwith reference to the accompanying drawings. In these:

FIG. 1 shows a cross section through the top end of a pressure vesselwith an inserted baseplate;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the baseplate shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through one form of the nozzle;

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section through one form of the valvepiston;

FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal section through an annular body for theactuation of the valve according to FIGS. 1 to 4;

FIG. 6 shows a section through a head which is employed when the valveis used for liquids;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the part in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows another form of the baseplate in the embodimentcorresponding to FIG. I; 7

FIG. 9 shows the lower end of another form of the valve piston, which issuitable for use with a baseplate according to FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 shows a longitudinal section through another form of the valveaccording to the invention the parts of which are here assembled.

Reference is first made to FIGS. I to 4. In FIG. 1 only the upper edgeof the wall 12 of the pressure vessel, for which the valve according tothe invention is intended, is shown diagrammatically. The baseplate 14,which in the example shown has a circular shape corresponding to the topopening of the vessel wall 12, is fixed in and on this top edge of thewall 12. An annular groove 16 is provided on the top side and near theouter edge of the baseplate 14. In addition, the baseplate 14 hasseveral holes or apertures 18 arranged on a concentric circle, throughwhich the product inside the pressure vessel can issue. The baseplate 14is provided with a thicker part 20 at its center and has on the top andin the center of this a threaded hole 26.

An embodiment of the nozzle 30 is shown in FIG. 3. This nozzle 30consists of a flexible material and has a lower hemispherical part 32,the top of which is connected with a coaxial hollow cylinder 34. Anannular flange 35 is made on the lower edge of the hemispherical part32, which flange has an annular rib 36 on its under side. This rib 36fits into the annular groove 16 of the baseplate 14 (FIGS. 1 and 2) andserves for the secure fastening of the nozzle 30 to the baseplate 14. Aplain glued joint is suitably provided between the underside of theannular flange 35 and the top of the baseplate 14. However, thebaseplate 14 and the nozzle 30 can also be fixed on the vessel inanother way, for example by rolling over the top end of the vessel wall12.

A conical valve seat 38 is made at the top end of the hollow cylinder orcylindrical shaft 34 of the nozzle 30. In addition, the top end of thecylindrical shaft 34 has a circular shoulder 40.

The valve piston shown in FIG. 4, which is intended for use with abaseplate 14 according to FIGS. 1 and 2, consists of a rod 42 ofinflexible, rigid material and has an annular flange 44 near its lowerend, and below this flange the rod 42 is continued in the form of athreaded shaft 46, which can be screwed into the threaded hole 26. Onthe top of the rod 42 a valve disc 48 is placed, the edge 50 of whichforms a valve cone fitting in the valve seat 38.

For assembling, the nozzle 30 is first fixed on the baseplate 14, andthen the piston 42 is introduced from above through the cylindricalshaft 34 and the hemispherical part 32, after which the threaded shaft46 of the piston is screwed into the threaded bore 26 of the baseplate14. The dimensions of the nozzle 30 and the piston 42 are such that,when the piston is completely screwed in, the valve cone 50 is pushedfirmly into the valve seat 38, while the nozzle 30 is slightlycompressed. Owing to the elasticity of the nozzle 30, this can yield alittle and the valve seat 38 is pressed firmly against the valve cone50. Since the inside of the nozzle 30 is also under the pressure of theproduct issuing through the holes 18, the pressure of the valve seat 38against the valve cone 50 is further increased by this inside pressure.

Another form of the baseplate I4 is shown in FIG. 8. Here also thebaseplate has an annular groove 16 for the reception of the rib 36 ofthe nozzle 30. Further, holes 18' for the passage of the product areprovided. The baseplate l4 differs from the baseplate 14 in that,instead of the threaded bore 26 in the thickened central part a bore 27passing through this part with an inwardly projecting rib 29 isprovided.

A form of the lower end of the valve piston 42' suitable for thebaseplate I4 is shown in FIG. 10. Here on the other side of the annularflange 44', an end 52" running to a point and containing an annulargroove 54" is provided instead of the threaded shaft 46, into whichgroove the inside rib 29" of the baseplate 14 can catch, in order to fixthe valve piston 42 securely to the baseplate 14", otherwise the form ofthe valve according to FIG. 8 and 9 does not differ from the formdescribed in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4.

In order to actuate the valve, i.e. to open this valve, the user pressestogether downwards with two fingers the bellowslike part 32 of thenozzle consisting of flexible material. Through this the valve seat 38is removed from the valve disc 48 and the mass under pressure in thevessel 12 can then issue through the openings 18 and the cylindricalshaft 34.

When the user ceases pressing on the bellows 32, then owing to itselasticity and owing to the pressure prevailing inside the bellows 32,this then goes back into the closing position in which the valve seat 38presses fast against the valve disc 48.

According to FIG. 5, an actuating attachment can be put on the top endof the cylindrical shaft 34 of the nozzle 30. This attachment consistsessentially of an annular flange 58 with a central hollow cylinder 62,which can be pushed over the hollow cylinder 34 of the nozzle 30, whilea shoulder 64 on the inside of the top end of the cylinder 62 fits onthe shoulder of the nozzle 30.

The actuating attachment 56 serves to operate the valve. When onepresses with two fingers on the annular flange 58 in the direction ofthe arrows 60, the nozzle 30 is pressed downwards with elasticdeformation, so that the valve seat 38 is removed from the valve disc 48and the valve is opened. The more heavily one presses on the annularflange 58 and thereby deforms the nozzle 30, the further the valve seat38 is removed from the valve cone 50 and the more the valve opens.

It will be noted that the actual closure in the case of the valveaccording to the invention is constructed at the outermost end of thenozzle 30, so that no dead areas are formed on the other side of theactual closure in which the product brought out accumulates and may dryor be spoilt.

Owing to the conical form of the valve parts 38, 50, this valve isautomatically cleaned when it closed, since the two valve parts 38, 50strip off outwards the part of the product still present between them.

When it is desired to use the valve according to the invention for thedispensing of liquids, a head according to FIGS. 6 and 7 may be usedinstead of the actuating attachment 56. This head 66 consistsessentially of a hollow cylindrical part open at the bottom, which canbe put on the free end of the cylindrical shaft 34 of the nozzle 30,when a corresponding shoulder 72 in the head 66 catches in the shoulder40 of the nozzle 30. The hollow space 69 inside the head 66 is so largethat the valve disc 48 of the valve piston 42 can move therein, when thenozzle 30 is elastically deformed by the finger pressure on the top 70of the head 66, so as to open the valve. The head 66 has a lateraloutlet aperture 68 for the liquid.

With the previously described forms of the invention, to open the valveone presses with two fingers either on the bel lows 32 or on the annularflange 58 of the actuating attachment S6. The outlet aperture of thevalve in such cases lies at the end of the cylindrical shaft 34, so thatthe product can also be dispensed at a difficultly accessible place,while the operating finger has not to reach up to this difficultlyaccessible place. If the head 66 according to FIGS. 6 and 7 is used, thevalve can then be opened with one finger, but since it must press on thetop 70 of the head 66, this finger must reach up to the place where theproduct comes out. FIG. 10 shows a form of the valve according to theinvention which can be opened with one finger, in which the place ofissue (38, 48) lies at a distance from this actuating finger, so thatthe product can also be dispensed at a difficultly accessible place.

The embodiment of the valve according to the invention shown in FIG. 10corresponds in its basic idea to the previously described forms, andtherefore the same or corresponding part would be provided withcorresponding reference symbols. A baseplate I4 is fixed in the top edgeI2 of the vessel and has on its top side an annular groove 16" in whichan annular rib 36" of the nozzle 30" engages. The baseplate 14 has onits under side a reinforcing rib l7 and is provided with at least oneaperture 18". In a covered part 20" of the baseplate 14" a recess 22"open at the bottom is constructed, in which a spreader 24" can be fixedwhen the vessel I2 is a two-compartment container, i.e. when the vessel12 has a compressible inner container. This spreader 24" thus serves forthe purpose of preventing the pressure agent round the compressibleinner container from compressing this abnormally, for example in thecenter, so that at the lower end of the compressible container a closedpocket can be formed, the contents of which cannot be emptied by thevalve.

The valve piston 42" corresponds in its type of construction to thepiston 42' according to FIG. 9 and has at its lower end 52" an annulargroove 54 in which a rib 29 engages which is provided in a bore 27" ofthe baseplate 14''. It will be seen that the valve piston 42" is placedeccentrically in the baseplate 14'.

The nozzle 30" has a bellowslike part 32" which consists of flexiblematerial and has an approximately cylindrical sidewall and a flatclosing wall at the top, while the cylindrical shaft 34 is concentricwith the eccentric valve piston 42" and at its top end has a conicalvalve seat 38" which cooperates with the valve cone 50" of the valvedisc 48". The nozzle 30 abuts against the top side of the baseplate 14"with a lower annular flange 35" and is fixed on the container 12 bymeans of a rolled round part of the top edge of the container 12.

According to one form of the invention the cylindrical shaft 34" isconstructed as a smooth hollow cylinder, i.e. the dotdash line 61" isthe outer bounding line of this cylindrical shaft 34". If the flat topof the bellows 32" is pressed with one finger in the direction of thearrow 60", the bellows 32" is compressed, and the valve seat 38" isremoved from the valve disc 48", so that the valve opens. According to apreferred form of the invention, the flat top of the bellows 32" can bemade somewhat more rigid than the cylindrical side wall of this bellows,in order to obtain a uniform compression of the bellows.

A further form of the invention is provided by making a projection 82 onthe sidewall of the cylindrical shaft 34", which lies above the placewhere the finger will be pressed on the bellows 32". The valve can thenbe opened by pressing on this projection 82 in the direction of thearrow 84. But the valve can also be opened by pressing on the bellows32" in the direction of the arrow 60" and at the same time pressing onthe projection 82 with the back of this finger in the direction of thearrow 84. In this way the uniform opening of the valve is facilitated.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 the bellows 32" is placed concentricwith the baseplate 14', while the valve disc shaft 42" and thecylindrical shaft 34" lie eccentric thereto. Obviously it would also bepossible to arrange the valve disc shaft and the cylindrical shaftconcentric with the baseplate and only to press out the bellowslaterally from the center.

Obviously the bellows 32 or the bellows 32" need not have the shapeshown in the drawings. This bellows could also have any other shapeprovided only that it is suitable to effect the opening of the valve byfinger pressure.

The invention is not of course limited to the details of the embodimentsshown. The essence of the invention, on the contrary, lies in the factthat, instead of the use of springs or threads for closing the valve,one of the valve parts is made of elastically deformable material andthe other valve part is made of rigid material, so that through theelasticity of the one valve part the valve can be opened by actuatingwith one or two fingers and automatically closed again.

We claim: 7

l. A dispensing apparatus for pastelike material comprising:

a. a pressure vessel for containing pressurized pastelike material;

b. a rigid valve stem mounted at a first end thereof on said pressurevessel and extending outwardly therefrom;

c. a valve formed at a second end of said valve stem;

d. aperture means defined by an exterior surface portion of said vesselgenerally adjacent said valve stem for the passage of pastelike materialfrom the interior of said vessel to a point remote therefrom;

e. a flexible resilient nozzle disposed in fluidtight engagement at afirst end thereof with an exterior portion of said vessel;

f. said nozzle being arranged to surround said surface portion of saidvessel defining said aperture means and also to surround said valvestem;

g. said flexible resilient nozzle being formed with a bellows portionadjacent said first end thereof and a valve seat at a second end thereoffor receiving said valve;

h. said flexible resilient nozzle being held in compression between saidvalve and said surface portion of said vessel defining said aperturemeans; and

i. whereby said dispensing apparatus may be actuated by an operatormoving said second end of said flexible resilient nozzle in a directionaway from said valve and whereby said valve seat of said flexibleresilient nozzle is restored to a position in engagement with said valvein response to the pressure of said pressurized pastelike materialurging against an inner surface of said bellows portion of said nou lewhen the operator releases said second end of said nozzle.

. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

a. a plate member provides said exterior surface portion of said vesseldefining said aperture means;

b. said fluidtight engagement of said first end of said resilientflexible nozzle with said vessel comprises:

a groove formed on the exterior surface of said pressure vessel tosurround said surface portion of said vessel defining said aperturemeans; and

a rib formed to extend axially from said first end of said nozzle andcorresponding in size and shape with said groove for mating engagementtherein;

c. whereby said resilient flexible nozzle is operable to direct a jet ofpaste through said aperture means, along the outer surface of said valvestem and over said valve in response to the movement of said nozzle awayfrom said valve.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2; wherein said valve comprises agenerally frustoconical shape and said plate member comprises agenerally planar surface.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressurized vesselgenerally comprises a cylindrical container:

a. said valve stem member being disposed generally centrally of saidplate member and extending axially outwardly from said cylindricalcontainer;

b. said aperture means comprising a plurality of holes disposed aboutsaid first end of said valve stem member;

and c. said groove comprising an annular'recess formed in said platemember.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said enlarged bellowsportion of said flexible resilient nozzle comprises a generallysemispherical portion extending toward said first end of said nozzle andterminating in said rib.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said flexible resilientnozzle is formed with an external shoulder disposed about said secondend thereof the addition of:

a. an outer collar member having an axial passage formed therein with aninternal shoulder corresponding in size and shape with said externalshoulder of said sleeve member for mating engagement therewith; saidcollar member being formed with outwardly projecting flange means;

b. whereby said collar member fits over said nozzle member with saidinternal shoulder engaging on said external shoulder; and

c. whereby an operator may actuate said pastelike material dispensingapparatus by moving said flange means of said collar member axially awayfrom said valve.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bellows is of agreater flexibility than the remaining portion of said flexibleresilient nozzle.

1. A dispensing apparatus for pastelike material comprising: a. apressure vessel for containing pressurized pastelike material; b. arigid valve stem mounted at a first end thereof on said pressure vesseland extending outwardly therefrom; c. a valve formed at a second end ofsaid valve stem; d. aperture means defined by an exterior surfaceportion of said vessel generally adjacent said valve stem for thepassage of pastelike material from the interior of said vessel to apoint remote therefrom; e. a flexible resilient nozzle disposed influidtight engagement at a first end thereof with an exterior portion ofsaid vessel; f. said nozzle being arranged to surround said surfaceportion of said vessel defining said aperture means and also to surroundsaid valvE stem; g. said flexible resilient nozzle being formed with abellows portion adjacent said first end thereof and a valve seat at asecond end thereof for receiving said valve; h. said flexible resilientnozzle being held in compression between said valve and said surfaceportion of said vessel defining said aperture means; and i. whereby saiddispensing apparatus may be actuated by an operator moving said secondend of said flexible resilient nozzle in a direction away from saidvalve and whereby said valve seat of said flexible resilient nozzle isrestored to a position in engagement with said valve in response to thepressure of said pressurized pastelike material urging against an innersurface of said bellows portion of said nozzle when the operatorreleases said second end of said nozzle.
 2. An apparatus according toclaim 1 wherein: a. a plate member provides said exterior surfaceportion of said vessel defining said aperture means; b. said fluidtightengagement of said first end of said resilient flexible nozzle with saidvessel comprises: a groove formed on the exterior surface of saidpressure vessel to surround said surface portion of said vessel definingsaid aperture means; and a rib formed to extend axially from said firstend of said nozzle and corresponding in size and shape with said groovefor mating engagement therein; c. whereby said resilient flexible nozzleis operable to direct a jet of paste through said aperture means, alongthe outer surface of said valve stem and over said valve in response tothe movement of said nozzle away from said valve.
 3. An apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein said valve comprises a generallyfrustoconical shape and said plate member comprises a generally planarsurface.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressurizedvessel generally comprises a cylindrical container: a. said valve stemmember being disposed generally centrally of said plate member andextending axially outwardly from said cylindrical container; b. saidaperture means comprising a plurality of holes disposed about said firstend of said valve stem member; and c. said groove comprising an annularrecess formed in said plate member.
 5. An apparatus according to claim2, wherein said enlarged bellows portion of said flexible resilientnozzle comprises a generally semispherical portion extending toward saidfirst end of said nozzle and terminating in said rib.
 6. An apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein said flexible resilient nozzle is formedwith an external shoulder disposed about said second end thereof theaddition of: a. an outer collar member having an axial passage formedtherein with an internal shoulder corresponding in size and shape withsaid external shoulder of said sleeve member for mating engagementtherewith; said collar member being formed with outwardly projectingflange means; b. whereby said collar member fits over said nozzle memberwith said internal shoulder engaging on said external shoulder; and c.whereby an operator may actuate said pastelike material dispensingapparatus by moving said flange means of said collar member axially awayfrom said valve.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein saidbellows is of a greater flexibility than the remaining portion of saidflexible resilient nozzle.